


so long as all your doors are flung wide

by sleeplessmiles



Series: Peggy Carter's Legacy [1]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-27
Updated: 2014-11-27
Packaged: 2018-02-27 04:08:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2678483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleeplessmiles/pseuds/sleeplessmiles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Because there's more than one kind of legacy.</p><p>Steve takes Jemma with him to go visit Peggy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	so long as all your doors are flung wide

**Author's Note:**

> This is based off a prompt that I received on tumblr: 'Steve & Jemma, "In the Storm."' 
> 
> It's possible that I extrapolated a little.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Jemma was trying incredibly hard to not feel the tiniest bit smug. Really, she was. This was no time to be smug. It was borderline inappropriate, even.

But then, she _was_ walking through the streets of DC next to _Captain America_ , who, yes, wasn’t in his uniform right at that very moment, but with the iconic shield strapped to his back and his general physique, he was hardly hiding himself away.

People were positively _gaping_. And they were gaping at her, too; she could feel their stunned gazes burning into the side of her face, the back of her neck. Who was this tiny woman being personally escorted through town by the Star-Spangled Man with a Plan himself?

(She couldn’t _wait_ to see Skye’s reaction if this made its way into any tabloids.)

In reality, though, the small part of her that was preening a little was largely swallowed up by the lingering heaviness she felt weighing upon her. As much as she was physically aware of her surroundings, it seemed her mind had remained back at the home they’d just left.

Back in that room with Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter, with heavy gazes and joined hands holding more history than any of the books ever could.

(It made her ache, the way they’d gazed at each other. It made her think of blue eyes and endearing curls, of soft hands and teasing Scottish accents.

It made her feel terribly homesick, despite having only been gone for three days.)

She swallowed heavily, trying to dislodge the thick sense of sadness and inevitability and _why_.

After they’d been walking along in silence for a while, Steve waving and smiling good-naturedly at anyone who called out to him, he nudged Jemma gently with his elbow. 

‘You okay?’ 

‘Hmm? Oh, yes! Sorry. Just lost in thought, I guess.’

He nodded knowingly.

‘You?’ she asked, after a brief pause. She shot an evaluative look across at him. Steve heaved a sigh, giving her a soft smile that didn’t seem to reach his eyes.

‘I suppose so. You know, it never really gets any easier.’

Jemma hummed softly in agreement. She’d been down this road before, when her grandmother had gotten Alzheimer’s back before Jemma had left for America. Time hadn’t made it any easier to come to terms with; if anything, it had made it worse.

And Steve and Peggy had never really had time on their side.

‘Can I ask you a question?’ she asked suddenly.

‘Sure.’

‘If it’s at all rude or invasive, you don’t have to answer.’

‘Jemma,’ he said, a fond half-smile on his lips. ‘Just ask.’

‘Right.’ She deliberated over her wording for a brief moment before deciding to just stick with the simplest option.

‘Why me?’ At his look, she hastened to clarify. ‘I mean, why did you take me?’

He was silent, considering her with a thoughtful expression on his face.

‘The nurse said… I was talking to the nurse, while I was waiting outside, and she mentioned that you generally tend to visit alone.’

Steve nodded, almost imperceptibly.

‘So I suppose I was just wondering…’

‘Why I brought you along?’

She didn’t answer, only looked up at him hopefully. He nodded a few more times, mulling that over as they continued walking.

This happened a lot, with them. Long stretches of quiet deliberation, longer than was generally accepted. It probably made their conversations sound weird and disjointed to onlookers, but Jemma was rather fond of it.

It was comfortable. Natural. Unforced.

She liked that.

Steve seemed to appreciate it just as much.

‘Well, for starters…’ he began slowly, shooting her a sly smile. 

 _Uh oh._ That was not a promising expression.

‘… I heard you were a fan.’

‘Oh no,’ she half-groaned. Gosh, how _mortifying_. She laughed nervously, more out of habit than anything, tucking her hair behind her ear.

‘Who told you that?’

‘It was Nat, actually.’

Right. Good. Excellent. The Black Widow was telling people that Jemma Simmons was a massive fangirl.

The Black Widow had told _Captain America_ that Jemma was a massive fangirl.

Fabulous. 

Actually, no. Wait a minute.

‘How on Earth would she even know…’ She trailed off at the expectant look on his face.

What was she missing?

Oh.

_Ohhh._

Admittedly, she _had_ thought it a bit odd at the time, when May had requested her company in DC. It wasn’t as though she was allowed to attend the congressional meeting with May, after all. There didn’t seem to be much point to the trip. Jemma had been content enough to tag along anyway, mostly because it had been May who was asking.

She honestly hadn’t expected the woman to have ulterior motives.

But this made a bit more sense. A lot more, actually.

(‘Make sure you pack that nice sundress,’ May had told her before they left. Gosh. She was probably sitting in some boring meeting right that very minute, smiling to herself about it all.)

Steve was certainly smiling, almost cheekily, as she pieced it together.

‘I’m not sure “fan” is the word I would use?’ she eventually offered in a weak tone.

He shrugged. ‘I’d probably use it.’

‘To describe me?’

‘To describe _me_.’ He shot her a conspiratorial grin. She returned it in part, rolling it over in her mind as they turned a corner.

‘I think perhaps “idol” or “hero” would be more apt, in this instance,’ she murmured more seriously after a few moments, giving the statement the gravitas it deserved.

Steve smiled another one of his heartbreakingly sad smiles at her, one corner of his mouth tugging upwards.

‘Yeah.’

They fell silent once more at that, their footfalls mingling with the sounds of life bustling on around them.

It really was a rather strange sort of day, Jemma noted absently; the air was hanging heavily around them, weighed down with the sort of humidity that spoke of a storm on the horizon. The sky had been relatively clear when they’d left the home, however, and so when Steve had suggested that they walk back instead of braving the humid stickiness of public transport, she’d readily agreed. Even now, the cloud cover wasn’t thick enough to prevent the sun from breaking through in patches.

(It was nice, Jemma decided. Yes, maybe her dress was sticking uncomfortably to her back a little, but it was probably the most comfortable she’d felt walking out in the open for years.)

This time, it was her turn to pull _him_ out of his thoughts.

‘You didn’t do this just for me, though,’ she guessed, studying the side of his face.

Steve sighed, shoulders slumping just the barest of amounts as he shoved his hands in his pockets. The effect was both instantaneous and astounding; the action making him look years younger than the heaviness in his eyes would hint at.

‘She has a lovely family – kids, grandkids. And she’s so proud of them. But she just… she just gets a bit down, sometimes. About what became of SHIELD. She…’ he huffed a self-deprecating laugh. ‘She hates that they brought me back to all of this.’

Jemma made a tutting sound. ‘I’m sure she doesn’t hate that you’re here, Steve. She seemed delighted to see you.’

‘Yeah, I know.’ He didn’t really sound like he did, though. Jemma didn’t push the matter, subdued as she was by his falsely positive tone coupled with a frown.

‘I just… I know she’s not lucid much, and never for long. I have no idea how much she retains. But I just thought…’

He looked back across at her. Jemma hoped her face showed even a fraction of the rapt attention she was giving him. 

‘I thought I could show her that what she did was worth it. That despite everything, the philosophy and values she used to found SHIELD, they still remain. They’re worthy of pride. I just wanted her to see that, even if it was only for a moment.’

Jemma felt herself frowning. ‘And you thought… I could help explain that?’

Oh, gosh. She hadn’t explained that at _all_. She hadn’t even known she was meant to.

‘No…’ He seemed confused by her reaction. ‘I thought you could _show_ her that.’

Jemma tilted her head, uncomprehending.

‘It’s…’ He shook his head, looked across at her admiringly. ‘You, Jemma. You’re the legacy.’

_I’m…_

She could only stare at him.

‘I…’ she trailed off, mind blank. ‘I don’t quite know what to say.’

‘You don’t have to say anything.’ Steve was looking a little bashful now, focusing on his feet. ‘You’re just… You do what you know is right, despite the risks. You don’t let anyone stop you from helping people.’ He shrugged. ‘It’s what Peggy was all about.’

Jemma shook her head ever so slightly, still in absolute shock.

‘All I do is what’s asked of me.’

‘Well, that looks a hell of a lot like above and beyond to the rest of us.’

She exhaled shakily.

‘Are you sure?’ Her voice sounded small, even to her own ears.

He met her eyes this time, gaze unwavering.

‘Yeah, Jemma. I’m sure.’

‘I… thank you,’ she murmured after a long pause, because what else were you supposed to say when Steve Rogers called you Peggy Carter’s legacy?

She thought she felt a little light-headed, to be perfectly honest.

(Maybe May was smiling away in her meeting for an entirely different reason.)

‘It doesn’t have to be a big deal. I just knew that if there was someone to make her proud of what she created, it would be you.’

‘Did it?’ she asked quietly. ‘Make her proud, I mean.’

Steve smiled. ‘It did.’

Despite the overwhelming humidity of the day, Jemma felt a different kind of warmth spread through her at that. It was nothing compared to what Peggy Carter had given young, starry-eyed SHIELD Cadet Jemma Simmons, but it was something. She could give something back.

As she opened her mouth to respond, a bunch of nearby kids noticed Steve and came running over, chattering excitedly. Jemma watched the transformation in Steve occur with unbridled interest; his entire posture changed, from distantly threatening to open and harmless, and his face split into a broad grin as he crouched down to talk to them.

(This was Captain America, she thought, but more importantly, it was Steve Rogers. She’d never been more aware of that point of intersection than she was in that moment.)

‘Who’s she?’ one kid was asking in that blunt, borderline rude way kids had sometimes, pointing at Jemma.

Steve looked across at her, cheeky smile increasing at what she was sure was a stricken expression on her face.

‘This is Jemma.’

‘Is she a superhero too?’ piped up another voice.

‘ _Well_ , I would hardly – ’

‘ – She sure is.’

The kids chorused a cacophony of ‘wow!’ and ‘that’s _awesome!_ ’ at them as Jemma shot Steve an incredulous look. His grin only widened.

_What a little shit._

There was one girl amongst the pack of boys, Jemma noted. She was gazing intently at Jemma, head tilted curiously to one side.

‘Do you have a powers too?’ someone asked.

Oh, good lord.

‘I… Science?’ she tried. 

The kids stared at her blankly.

‘Like Bruce Banner,’ the little girl chimed in softly, breaking the silence. Steve was smiling fondly at the kid.

(It probably wasn’t often he heard kids refer to Bruce by his actual name, she realised.)

‘Yeah. Bit like that,’ she confirmed as the rest of the kids erupted into various Hulk-related exclamations.

Eventually, Steve cut them off.

‘Sorry kids, but we gotta keep moving.’ At the chorus of dejected complaints, he put on a stern face. ‘But you keep these streets safe for me, alright? I’m trusting you.’

‘Aye aye, Cap!’ one particularly boisterous kid yelled. The rest of them chimed in too, promising ferociously ( _adorably_ , Jemma noted) to not let him down. There were high fives all round, everyone wanting their moment with Captain America. 

But the girl only stood there, smiling sheepishly up at Jemma. Jemma beamed warmly at her, waved.

The little girl giggled before running off after the boys.

_Well then._

Despite everything, Jemma felt the smile stay on her face long after the kids had scurried off. Eventually, however, it grew into something more knowing.

‘What?’ Steve asked innocently.

‘Flattery, throwing adoring children at me… Anyone would think you’re trying to recruit me.’

He chuckled at that. ‘Why? Are you offering?’

She slapped at his bicep, scoffing, but the smile remained on her face.

 

 

\--

 

 

As they walked onwards, her mind strayed inevitably back to their previous conversation.

‘She’s a large part of the reason I stayed,’ Jemma admitted quietly. Steve inclined his head, indicating that he was listening. ‘After the fall of SHIELD. I was… questioning, wondering what I was doing. And then we got to the new base, where she built SHIELD up from the ground. It was the first time I felt like the task was achievable, that it was worth it.’

He was smiling as he walked, eyes distant.

‘You said that was only part of it?’

She hummed in acknowledgement.

‘What else made you stay? If you don’t mind me asking,’ he hastened to tack onto the end.

Jemma smiled faintly. How could she even put it into words? 

‘Family,’ she finally murmured. ‘Not just my team, or my parents back in Sheffield, but. Everyone. Everyone has someone they think of when they hear news of a disaster. Someone they fear for. And so I thought, if I _can_ do something to prevent them from feeling that, then I should. It would be irresponsible of me to turn my back.’

He was smiling at her, almost too gently.

‘That. Right there. That’s why I brought you along.’

She smiled back, tentative and disbelieving.

And then, apropos of absolutely _nothing_ , the heavens opened with an almighty clap of thunder.

Jemma let out an inelegant squeak as Steve herded her to the relative cover of a nearby building. The rain was slightly angled, so they were only getting moderately soaked, but still. It was positively _pouring_.

What the hell? 

‘Where did that even _come from_?’ she exclaimed.

‘It’s been threatening all afternoon.’

‘Yes, I _know_ , but it was still hours off.’ It had been borderline sunny only minutes previously. ‘I’ve never seen anything quite like it.’

Steve was only half-listening, looking around in full strategic mode. ‘We’ve got to get you out of the rain.’

She frowned, pulling at her dress so that it stopped clinging to her so weirdly. ‘What about you?’

‘I’ll be fine, we just need to get you – ’

‘ _Both of us_ ,’ she insisted with a pointed look. ‘I’m not a liability. I’m in peak physical health, I’ll have you know.’

His eyebrows shot up.

‘Alright then. We need to get the both of us,’ he paused for her approval, only continuing once she’d nodded at him, pleased, ‘to some better cover. We can both fit under the shield. If we can just make it a couple of blocks over, using it as a kind of umbrella, there should be a building we can take shelter inside.’

Jemma only stared at him for the longest time, eyes widened. He shifted uncomfortably.

‘What?’

‘If you want to go out in the middle of a _thunderstorm_ under a giant honking _metallic_ shield, then be my bloody guest. I’ll stay right here where I’m not a walking lightning rod, thanks.’

‘Oh.’

‘Yes, “oh.” Sergeant Barnes was spot on about you,’ she grumbled.

He raised his eyebrows again.

‘You know, I’ve heard some interesting stories about _you_ that tell me you don’t really have a leg to stand on right now.’

‘From whom?’ she scoffed. ‘Was it Fitz? Because let me tell you, _he’s_ hardly one to talk – ’

‘ – Okay, let’s just agree we could both use some help in the self-preservation department, yes?’

She closed her mouth.

It was a fair point.

‘Good. Now – ’

‘Wait.’

And for all that she’d heard about Captain Rogers’ dislike of taking orders, he seemed happy enough to take them from a frowning, petite English woman with water leaking down onto her face.

‘The thunder,’ she explained off his quizzical look. ‘How many times have you heard it?’

He frowned. ‘Just… the once.’

‘But we’re right in the middle of the storm…’

At that very moment, thunder sounded dramatically, seeming to press down all around them and shake the very foundations of the earth. What was truly spectacular, however, was the lightning. It seemed to all combine into a single stream, splitting the sky continuously for at least ten seconds and heading towards the same impact point.

She met Steve’s eyes.

‘Thor,’ they said in unison.

‘I didn’t even know he was in DC,’ Jemma noted. She was struck suddenly with the ridiculous mental image of the man marching up to Capitol Hill, dressed in full Asgardian garb.

She suppressed a startled laugh. The rain was washing away the humidity, but it also seemed to be washing away the deep heaviness of earlier. She felt almost like she could float away.

Steve looked at her knowingly. ‘He wasn’t. Jane was, though.’

Jemma felt a grin creep onto her face, an idea forming. ‘Wait. That means we’ll be safe from lightning, right?’

‘Well, yeah, Thor should have it under control, and it looks like he’s across town a bit, so – Jemma, what are you _doing_?’

What she was doing was skipping away from the relative cover of the building, moving to stand out in the middle of the deluge with a grin firmly in place. Closing her eyes, she tipped her face up towards the sky.

_Glorious._

‘How’s your peak physical health going to be if you catch a cold?’ Steve called out, but he was jogging over to join her anyway, squinting at her through the large droplets.

Jemma felt laughter bubbling up in her throat.

‘Why don’t we just run the couple of blocks?’ she asked him breathlessly. She couldn’t wipe the delighted expression off her face if she tried. This was _exhilarating._ She was out in the open and she felt _safe_ and she was positively drenched. Incredible.

Steve coughed out a startled laugh. ‘What?’

She looked across to catch his eye, running a hand through her wet hair.

‘It’s just for a moment, right?’

His face softened at that, no doubt thinking again of Peggy. This time, however, his eyes were nothing but fond.

Jemma’s hair was plastered to the side of her face, makeup probably running everywhere, but she couldn’t care less. She was positively giddy, and it felt like a miracle.

There were so many terrible things happening, so many things over which neither her nor Steve had control – no matter how badly they might seek it. But it was all about the moments like these, wasn’t it? It was all about finding a brief respite whenever you could.

‘Just for a moment,’ Jemma repeated to herself under her breath.

She looked over at Steve then, and she knew she had him. She _knew_. A delighted smile was creeping across his face as he shook his head in disbelief at her. Then, at the realisation of what that did to his hair, his smile grew wicked. Jemma barely had time to register his expression before he was violently shaking his head, water flicking up all over the place.

She shrieked, shoving at him and dancing back just out of reach.

(And if she noted the way his wet shirt clung to his chest, then. Well. She was only human, after all.)

‘Race you there?’

‘That’s unfair!’ she protested on a laugh. ‘At least give me a head start!’

‘Should I just do laps while I wait, then?’

‘Oh, piss off.’

He threw his head back and laughed.

 

 

\--

 

 

‘If you get sick and May finds out about this – ’

‘ – I’ll make certain she knows it was your idea, yes.’

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
